history health part 1 Flashcards
Evidence for that medieval beliefs are less scientific
A common belief was that a person was ill beacuse they had been punished by god or cursed by a witch. So to get better you should pray.
Evidence that most doctor believed in the Four Humours.
They believed people were healthy if their four liquids (elements) were balanced. For example if there was too much blood then it should be removed or if not enough they should drink red wine!
Evidence that medieval doctors knew the pulse and urine of a patient could tell you something.
Doctors took a patients pulse and used the smell and colour of the urine to decide what medicine to give. However, this wasn’t too scientific as they used the zodiac to check whether the colour was right
Why were four humours pretty much the only theory doctors believed.
At the time it was almost impossible to disprove the theory so it stuck. It would only be when humans could be dissected that it was clear that Galen was wrong to rely on animal dissections.
Evidence why their theory was scientific for the time which made it more believable.
The theory was based on observation and animal dissection. Galen also tested some of Hippocrates ideas on Human Gladiators so doctors later accepted the theories as they were based on research.
Evidence why Christians spread these ideas of the four humours
The theory accepted there was a God. So Monks copied the theory out and were very nasty to anyone that challenged the theory, so change took a long time!
Why did treatment often didn’t work or even make it worse!
Blood was removed by opening a vein or using leeches to suck it out. This only worked if blood was taken from exactly the right place. They drilled holes in people brains (trepanning) with mental problems to let the demons out!
Evidence abut how most treatment was done by amateurs.
Most were barbers that also did some surgery work such as bloodletting and taking out teeth. Some people also went to ‘wise women’ where ideas were passed down from mother to daughter.
Evidence about how being treated was painful and dangerous.
Patients could also die from going into shock or from blood loss. Some used cauterisation to stop blood which was a hot iron burning your flesh
Evidence that Medieval doctor diagnosed by observing the patient.
They looked at (observed) two things, the pulse and smell/colour of the urine. Sometimes they compared this astrology charts.
Evidence that The doctor gave remedies that combined the physical and supernatural!
There was a lot of bloodletting and getting the patient to vomit to ‘balance the humours’, but doctors also tried to treat through prayer or using charms
